


Pit Stop

by See_Kay_Write



Series: NaNo17 [2]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Gen, Hurt!Don
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 15:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12707835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/See_Kay_Write/pseuds/See_Kay_Write
Summary: Don was not a fan of how this day was going.





	Pit Stop

**Author's Note:**

> For day 2 of my NaNo! Got a prompt you'd like to see me try? Leave it in the comments!

“Donny?” Alan’s anxious voice came from behind him and to his right.  Don didn’t spare a glance his way.

 

“Easy,” he breathed more than spoke, and kept his gun in line with Charlie’s left ear.  “Everybody just take it easy, stay where you are, nobody has to get hurt here today.”  So much for a simple shopping trip, he thought grimly as he disregarded his own words and inched forward by fractions.  He hoped to edge out of a position that could leave his father directly in any crossfire.

 

The gunman’s hand shook, knocking his gun once into Charlie’s temple by accident.  Both Don and surprisingly enough the gunman winced on his behalf.  For his part, it didn’t quite seem to register to Charlie, who was still trying to put two and two together to equal sudden hostage.

 

They’d just closed a rough case, with Alan and Charlie lending expertise at different points.  Don had planned on taking them both out to dinner but had needed to stop for gas first.  Alan had run in to use the restroom and Charlie trailed after to grab some water.  Don followed them in to pay, but as Charlie stepped up to pay for his water, he was suddenly grabbed around the neck by the man at the register next to him.

 

The man- kid, really, once don got a better look at him, was nearly as pale as Charlie and visisibly rattled, “I just.. I only wanted… nobody was supposed to be in here this time of day… I was just…”

 

Yeah, don knew what he was just doing.  The kid hadn’t expected the robbery to go sideways this  fast.  He was over his head and worse, he knew it.  The next few minutes would decide whether he’d graduate closer to hardened criminal or give up his clearly not well thought out career choice and move back over to the straight and narrow.  Assuming he didn’t get shot here today.

 

He was just so damn nervous with the gun, and that made Don more worried than if he’d been entirely calm.  It wasn’t going to take much to set him off by accident and then Don would have to much more deliberately fire his gun and he really didn’t want that. 

 

The cashiers had already dove under the counter, probably hitting a panic button on the way.  A slight turn of his head told him his dad had taken the dubious refuge of the stand of chips.

 

Don lowered his gun by millimeters, still ready, but less threatening, hopefully.

 

“Look, I understand, believe me. [But this will go a lot easier on you if you just put the gun down and we just talk.  Okay?”  He inched a little closer, nearly in reach now.  He could hear sirens in the distance and swore in his head.  He didn’t want to escalate this any worse by spooking the guy.  As if in unspoken agreement, the sirens cut out suddenly.

 

The kid didn’t seem to notice, “Okay…”  he loosened his grip on Charlie and slowly lowered the gun.  It rested somewhere areound rib level and Don adjusted his grip on his own gun.  Something felt off…  “Okay, just…” the kid repeated, looking around wide eyed.  He leaned forward toward Don, pressing Charlie forward too, not quite relinquishing his human shield.

 

Don too, leaned in instinctively.  The gun shifting from being pointed at Charlie’s side to aiming at him almost didn’t register over the sound of the gun discharging.  Charlie let out a wordless yell, mingling with Alan’s angry one and suddenly Don found himself staring at the ceiling.  He didn’t remember falling; he was still trying to remember how breathing worked.  It felt like he’d gotten punched in the gut and his lungs just didn’t quite want to cooperate. 

 

“ _I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”_ There was a dull thump, Don lifted his head a few inches to look, the kid had slid down the counter to land on the floor.   Shock, maybe?   Didn’t seem to be much of a threat, but… Charlie kicked the gun off near the door in his scramble to move away.

 

“Donny!” Alan’s face filled his vision, “Stay still, son, I think help’s on the way…”

 

“Is he… Don, were you still wearing your vest?” Charlie’s voice had taken an odd note from Don’s other side.  Oh.  He wasn’t sure what had possessed him to do it, but he’d thrown his sweatshirt on over the vest instead of trying to get back out of it right away.  He’d planned on throwing it in the back seat when they got out in the car. 

 

“M’okay,” Don tried to roll to his side, there was something on his belt… “Cuffs…”

 

“You are most certainly not okay,” Alan huffed but more relieved than irritated.  “Cu- Oh!”  He retrieved them from the pouch on his belt and Don eased back into the prone position.  He could breath a little better, but he would have one hell of a bruise later.

Charlie leaned over to take them from Alan when the door burst open and several armed officers burst in.

 

“LAPD, everybody get your hands up!” 

 

Don let his gun rest on the floor next to him and raised his hands slowly, nudging Alan when it took him a moment to do the same.  Charlie’s hands startled up into the air when the officers turned to them.  Likewise, the cashiers' arms both waved in the air from behind the counter.  The only one who hadn’t complied was the gunman himself, still sitting on the floor.  Definitely not hardened criminal.

 

“My name’s Don Eppes, I’m with the FBI,” Don croaked as the LAPD cuffed everyone in a precautionary measure.  He also cut off Alan’s sputter and Charlie’s protest at the same time.  “My ID’s in my front right pocket.  That’s Alan and Charlie Eppes.  I don’t think the cashiers were involved, he was the only one with a gun other than me.”  

 

The officer duly checked it and set it down next to him, “Sorry, Agent.  Officer Michael Daniels, by the way.”  He uncuffed him, Alan and Charlie in turn after a check of IDs.  “You’re injured?”  He must have just caught sight of the ripped sweatshirt, that or realized that Don laid out flat on his back was a little odd without good reason.

 

Don shook his head even as Alan exclaimed ‘yes!’ behind him, “Wind knocked out of me.”  He sat up and felt two sets of hands supporting him.  He leveraged himself into standing slowly and was pretty pleased when he didn’t immediately go back down.  All things considered, he felt better than he had any right too after being shot; he didn’t even think he’d hit his head.

 

Two officers were escorting the would be robber out, ‘ _I didn’t even want to’_ he all but wailed in the background.  Don frowned a little.  “I’d like to sit in on the interview if that’s all right?”

 

“After the paramedics are done with you,” Daniels shrugged.  Considering the guy had been caught pretty much red handed, it was going to be a pretty open and shut case for the LAPD.  Don wished more of his went a little more like that.

 

Don let himself be led out to the paramedics.  They got his vest off and handed off to the officer, who would have the crime scene techs deal with the bullet lodged towards the bottom.   Too much lower, and he might have missed the vest entirely.  That wasn’t a pleasant though, but the vest had done it’s job so there wasn’t much use in thinking about the what ifs, not with other things to focus on.

 

The paramedics decreed him badly bruised and made noises about getting checked out at the hospital just in case.  Don politely declined.  “I know what to watch for, I’ll go in if I think there’s a problem,” he persuaded them.  They cast dubious looks at each other but let it go.

 

“I’ll meet you at the station, if that’s okay,” Don glanced over at Daniels, who nodded. 

 

“We’ll meet you,” Alan corrected firmly.  Don wasn’t going to argue the point right now.  The officer didn’t need to include him, but he appreciated the courtesy.

 

David met them at the station, and Don raised an eyebrow.  David opened his mouth, glanced at Charlie and Alan and shut it again.  Don titled his head in silent question and then thought better of it.  He was sure David had been the recipient of some of the rapid texting that had been going on in the passenger seat.

 

“I was actually already here, I was dropping off some things from the DelRego case, apparently he started talking almost as soon as they got him in the car.  This wasn’t exactly a robbery,” David looked unusually sober and the last part had been said lowly, as to not get anyone else’s attention.

 

“Hey guys, I’m going to go grab some coffee and David and I will go talk to the lead,” Don turned back to his father and brother, “Why don’t you guys take my car, head on home?  David can drop me off when we’re done here, it shouldn’t be long.”   David nodded encouragingly at his right.

 

Alan wasn’t buying it, “There a waiting area around here?”

 

Don sighed silently, it had been worth a shot, “I think there’s chairs over by the desk.  Seriously, we won’t be long, there’s not point in you both just sitting around.”

 

Alan went over and parked it in one of the chairs.  Charlie gave him a little shrug of ‘what can you do?’ and joined him. Right.  Well, that was fine, they’d be fine out there.  He followed David on back.

 

“What do you mean, not exactly a robbery?” Don asked when they were safely out of earshot.

 

David raised an hand defensively, “Apparently the guy was after you in particular.”

 

That made Don pause.  “I’ve never seen the guy before in my life?”  Though it came out as more of a question, Don was pretty certain of it. 

 

David was already shaking his head, “Yeah, I know.  He got a package with a burner phone, your picture and the gun.  LAPD is checking out the story, but he seems pretty sincere.  He got a call about twenty minutes before you got to the gas station and was told to be there.  He lives half a block away.”

 

Don ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath before asking, “Did he say who put him up to this?”

 

“Didn’t sound like he knew,” David replied, “whoever it was threatened him pretty good.”

 

“Yeah, well, apparently he’s not the only one,” Don glanced back toward the waiting area, “Did he know I wouldn’t be alone?”

 

“No, I think that’s what messed with him so much,” David returned, “You want to talk to him?”

 

“Yeah, yeah I do,” Don headed down the hallway to where he could see Daniels waiting.  Looks like this was turning into an FBI case after all.


End file.
